PORT Adelaide president Brett Duncanson says ‘people power’ will play a part in deciding the club's next senior coach, but says he won’t be seduced into straying from the selection process put in place to determine Mark Williams’ successor last month.
Senior Coach Selection Process
Former Power captain and midfield mentor Matthew Primus has made an impression both on and off the field since stepping into the role of caretaker coach in round 16.
Primus’ popularity among the Port Adelaide faithful has prompted speculation the club could be compelled to offer him the job full-time in a situation reminiscent to what the Sydney Swans faced with current coach Paul Roos back in 2003.
On Wednesday Duncanson admitted Primus hadn’t put a foot wrong off the field since taking over from Williams, but said the selection panel was committed to honouring the process already in place.
“Any Port Adelaide leader and in Matty’s case an outstanding on-field leader is going to be popular [with the supporters] and that will be a factor in everything we do when it comes to the appointment of senior coaches," Duncanson said.
"We’ll look at what it actually does to our long-term commercial viability and Matty ticks all those boxes, but it’s about sticking to the process.
“It’s a great opportunity for Matty. I know he’s taken it with both hands and is really enjoying it."
Duncanson refused to talk about the details of the senior coach selection process, which has thrown up names like Essendon assistant Alan Richardson, Western Bulldogs assistant Leon Cameron and native South Australian Scott Burns.
Hawthorn premiership coach and former Port Adelaide assistant Alastair Clarkson has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, but is rumoured to be out of the Power’s price range.
There’s been speculation Port Adelaide could look to a benefactor to underwrite a third-party deal, like the one the Brisbane Lions struck to secure Leigh Matthews, to snare Clarkson but Duncanson said he was unaware of any such proposal.
Speaking at the official opening of the Power’s $4.5 million facility redevelopment Duncanson said the club would find the best coach available and not just the best coach it could afford.
“We’ll find the best-possible coach in Australia," he said.
“Like every decision you make as a director of a football club, or as the CEO of a football club in Haysie’s [Mark Haysman’s] case you make a commercially-responsible decision.
"We need to go through the process and find the best-possible person and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”
Duncanson denied the Power’s embarrassing 94-point loss to St Kilda last weekend would have a major bearing on Primus’ chances of securing the top job, but said wins in the remaining three rounds could only help his prospects.
“From a club perspective internally it [the St Kilda loss] will be measured like every other game is measured,” he said.
“Wins help…but we knew the process we wanted to go through before any win-loss ratio [presented itself] and we’ll continue to stick to that process.”
The Power are expected to make a decision on their next senior coach by grand final week.
